Representatives of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners, mainly
identified with Fatah, met over the last two days with Israel Prison
Service officials to discuss their demands. The meeting took place at
Rimonim prison in the Sharon region with the participation of
Palestinian detainees who were brought to the meeting from jails
around the country, Haaretz has learned.

The discussions centered on the issues of solitary confinement and
family visits from Gaza. As a goodwill gesture, prison officials have
agreed to release several prisoners from solitary confinement. Prison
authorities also promised to consider family visits from Gaza.

The prisoners are demanding a response in writing on the issue of
giving prisoners´ relatives documents they can present at a border
crossing if the visits are allowed. The prison service declined to
comment on news of the contacts.

Prisoners have been striking over solitary confinement, the barring
of family visits from the Gaza Strip, a ban on academic study and the
opportunity to receive books. These sanctions were imposed while
Gilad Shalit was being held in the Gaza Strip.

Prisoners with relatives in the West Bank can receive family visits,
which are coordinated through the Red Cross. Protesters demonstrated
this week in Ramallah in front of the offices of both the Red Cross
and the United Nations seeking the immediate intervention of the two
international organizations on behalf of the prisoners.

Hunger-striking administrative detainees, who are jailed without
charge for up to six months, a term that is renewable indefinitely,
are demanding that they be charged or released. On Thursday UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanded the same of Israeli
authorities.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday that
the PA would not restrain its response if any of the prisoners reach
the point where they are in danger of sudden death. Abbas, who met
with some of the hunger-striking prisoners´ relatives on Thursday,
said the prisoner issue is a matter of great concern to him and the
PA would spare no effort to have all the Palestinian prisoners
released.